Elsie Eiler pays taxes to herself and grants her own liquor license as the mayor, bartender, librarian and sole resident of Monowi, Nebraska. The 85-year-old has become somewhat of a local legend and a national treasure. Eiler became the sole resident of Monowi in 2004, after her husband Rudy passed away. Elsie met Rudy in the third grade, and at age 19 married him when he returned from France where he had served in Air Force during the Korean War. They lived in Omaha briefly before settling down in Monowi and opening the tavern in 1975. Once a thriving cattle-industry town aided by a central railway system, Monowi dwindled to a population of just 18 by 1980, and eventually just Elsie. She’s found that people will go out of their way to stop by Monowi, with
visitors from 47 states and 40 other countries making their way to the
rural town. The one thing Elsie wants people to know is that she’s not as lonely as they might assume. "I see people all day long, coming and going, strangers and regulars. When I go home at night, I'm perfectly happy to have that time to myself."

Sunday, June 7, 2020

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On This Day

1968 Sirhan Sirhan is indicted for the assassination of US Senator Robert Kennedy. He was sentenced to life in prison. He has been up for parole 15 times, denied each time on the grounds that he has not expressed adequate remorse for his crime.

Fact of the Day

The 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia was so loud that it was heard over 3,000 miles away, which is the equivalent of hearing a sound from Ireland while you are in Boston. It ruptured the eardrums of sailors over 40 miles away.

Nature Oddities

Rats can go up to 2 weeks without water, longer than camels, who can only go 3-5 days without water.

Food and Drink

English legend claims that the name “sirloin steak” comes from when King James I of England was so impressed by the quality of his steak that he knighted the loin of beef, which was referred to thereafter as “Sirloin.”